September 4, 2025

September

• Talbot Goes Purple

September 12 - Early Dismissal - Teacher In-Service

September 15 - Board of Education Work Session - 5:30 p.m.

September 17 - Board of Education - Regular Meeting - 7:00 p.m.

September 15 - 19 - Arts in Education Week

September 15-October 15 - Hispanic Heritage Month

September 26 - Early Dismissal - Secondary Conferences/Elementary Teacher In-Service

September 27 - Frederick Douglass Day (Talbot County Celebration)

Hello TCPS families!

I hope you enjoyed the long weekend and have made the most of the amazing weather we have been having. We had a fantastic first week of school and I am so excited to see all of the work beginning in our learning spaces.

As I mentioned last week, I want to touch base on some of the policies outlined in our student handbook. The Board of Education created these policies and regulations to ensure we provide an environment that is safe, limits distractions, and is conducive to learning.

This week, I will quickly review our regulations regarding the possession of portable communication devices such as phones and smartwatches in our schools. For students in grades pre-K through five, devices should either be left at home, or turned off and stored out of sight throughout the school day and while on school buses traveling to and from school.

Our middle school students must turn off devices before entering the buildings and store them out of sight until dismissal. The yonder pouches make this easy at Easton Middle School, and will be implemented at St. Michaels Middle in the near future. Students may not use headphones or earbuds while in school, but these are permitted on school buses. Phones may be used during after school activities if necessary.

High school students must also keep phones off or silenced and stored out of sight during school hours. Students may not use earbuds or headphones during school hours. High school students may use phones during class change, lunch, and while on buses, but they should still be silenced. Students may also use devices during after school activities.

All of this is outlined in detail in Policy and AR 10.19, which can be found on the TCPS website, so please take the opportunity to review it. Our district does have a policy committee and we met for the first time this school year yesterday. We will be continuing to review our policies and implementation as the year goes on.

Have a great weekend! Consider supporting our student athletes as they represent TCPS on our athletic fields. And remember, it's always a great day for success at TCPS!

TCPS Supports Talbot Goes Purple: a substance abuse prevention initiative from the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office and Tidewater Rotary that empowers our youth and community to ‘Go Purple’ as a sign of taking a stand against substance abuse.

This week, TCPS seniors signed apprenticeship contracts with the Talbot County Government Emergency Medical Systems and the Maryland Department of Transportation. Lila Moore, Senior at SMMHS (top left), and Maddison Weishaar, Senior at EHS (top right), are both Emergency Medical apprentices with the potential to complete the apprenticeship and graduate as licensed EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians). Jose Norris, Senior at EHS (bottom), is a Heavy Equipment Maintenance Technician apprentice with Maryland Department of Transportation.

Congratulations to these three students!

TCPS launched a new user-friendly website and mobile app on July 1, in partnership with Apptegy, an education technology company based in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The new website and app include the same information as our current website, and will also enable real-time communication. The free app for Android and iPhone sends emergency notifications directly to those who download the app and provides consistency with the website.

The technology is designed with both families and school leaders in mind and will hopefully make communication easier and faster. Check out the short video below for a quick introduction to the app that comes with the new platform. You can also find and download the new app now by searching "Talbot County Public Schools" in the app store. If you have any questions, please contact Debbie Gardner, Director of Communications at dgardner@talbotschools.org. You can find more information about Apptegy here: https://www.apptegy.com/

Here Comes the Bus®

Available to parents of Talbot County Public Schools students.

• View the real-time location of your child’s bus
• Access the app from your smartphone, tablet or computer
• Receive push notifications or email alerts
• Send your child to the bus stop at just the right time, every time

How to get started:

1. Download the Here Comes the Bus app* or visit herecomesthebus.com
2. Click the button "Sign Up" button
3. Enter school code 87314 and click “Next” followed by “Confirm”
4. Complete the “User Profile” box
5. Under “My Students,” click “Add.” Enter your child’s last name and student ID number (student ID number can be found in the Power School Parent Portal on the Bus Information page or contact your child’s school)
6. Once you confirm your information, you’re ready to begin using Here Comes the Bus!

*Available at the App Store and Google Play

Here Comes the Bus® is a registered trademark of Synovia

Solutions™ LLC

Starting October 2025, the Route 50 entrance to the Talbot County Community Center (TCCC) will be closed to all traffic to allow infrastructure improvements for the shared entrance to the future regional hospital. Please use posted detours to access the Community Center. This page will be updated as work progresses.

The Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS) is sharing that many families that qualified for the SUNBucks program this summer have not yet used their benefit. Eligible children received $40 in June, July and August for a total of $120 per child for the summer. Benefits expire October 6, 2025.

Join the TCPS Team! We have many certificated and support positions available! Use the link below for more information and to apply!

This guide provides a comprehensive list of behavioral health resources across Queen Anne's, Kent, Caroline, Talbot, and Dorchester counties.

This year TCPS is going “cashless” for tickets for all of our athletic events using GoFan. You can purchase tickets ahead of time online or at the gate using a credit or debit card. GoFan accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover. Tickets can also be purchased at the gate using Apple Pay and Google Pay. Admission to all events at the Easton High and St. Michaels High Stadiums and Gymnasiums is $6 (children 6 and under are free). Cash payment will not be accepted at the gate.

Tickets can be purchased using the following links:

Easton High

St. Michaels Middle High

Join the parents, teachers, and students who have already made the important decision to enroll in SafeTime. The app is designed to both empower us all with a super easy social media integrated tool to alert the proper authorities if we see something suspicious, AND to raise student self-esteem via the creation and exposure to fun, positive messaging.

Safe Schools Maryland - an ANONYMOUS and FREE reporting system available to students, teachers, school staff members, parents, and the general public to report any school or student safety ​concerns, including mental health concerns. Safe Schools Maryland operates twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year. Your anonymous report can be submitted by calling the tip line (1-833-MD-B-SAFE / 1-833-632-7233), completing an online form (below), or downloading the free Safe Schools Maryland app from the App Store or Google Play.​

Shore Legal Access connects Eastern Shore individuals and families in need of legal representation with volunteer attorneys to ensure that justice truly is for all.